


Karaoke Dance Party

by JetBlackGoldfish



Category: Political RPF
Genre: Gen, Inspired by Shrek (Movies)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:55:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26865523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JetBlackGoldfish/pseuds/JetBlackGoldfish
Summary: Hafez al-Assad celebrates his 60th birthday party with his new video camera
Relationships: Hafez al-Assad/Anisa Makhlouf
Kudos: 6





	Karaoke Dance Party

'Bashar, is it on?' 

'Is there a red light on, Baba?' 

'Yes.' 

'Then it's on.' 

In the bottom left hand corner of the video, the date read 6 OCT. 1990. The time was currently 7:30pm. A man with a broad forehead and grey hair, wearing a grey suit, spoke to the camera:

'Ahlaan bialjamie! Welcome to Hafez al-Assad's 60th Birthday Karaoke Dance Party! We're all here in Latakia, and I'm going to get things started...' 

♪ Don't go changing, to try and please me. ♪

♪ You've never let me down before. Mmm-mm-mm-mm-mm. ♪ 

  
**_6 OCT. 1990, 8:03pm_ **

At Hafez's 60th Birthday Karaoke Dance Party, something unexpected had happened, and it was a good thing that Hafez had managed to turn the camera on in time. 

Bashar, Hafez's shy and nerdy middle son, who had spent the evening helping Hafez with his new video camera, was lying on his back and singing, sporting an early 90s moustache and wearing a baggy, dark blue shirt and baggy, formal black trousers - a very fashionable look at the time. 

♪ I made it through the wilderness ♪ Bashar sang, while his older, conventionally better-looking and more 'cool' brother, Bassel, a man with dark hair and a dark beard, was scratching the turntables, still wearing a camouflage uniform, a khaki jacket, and a keffiyeh round his neck, laughing at the same time at what one of his little brothers was doing. Bashar's fondness of Western music was well-known to the Al-Assad family, but this was totally unexpected. 

Seconds later, nerdy, studious Bashar rolled onto his stomach and sang '♪ You know I made it through ♪' while Bassel continued scratching the turntables, laughing audibly now. The flashing, multicoloured lights from a small disco ball up on the stage only added to the hilarity of this scene. 

♪ Didn't know how lost I was until I found you ♪ 

  
**_6 OCT. 1990, 8:42pm_ **

Hafez had been filming family members dancing and enjoying the buffet, but now his camera was focused on Fidel Castro, and Castro had loudly declared: 

'Me gustan las traseras grandes y no puedo mentir! ¡Ustedes otros hermanos no pueden negarlo! Y cuando una chica entra con una cintura diminuta y una cosa redonda en tu cara, obtienes...' 

  
**_6\. OCT 1990, 8:45pm_ **

'Maharbaan, Muammar, my dearest friend!' Hafez said cheerfully, filming his friend Muammar Gaddafi eating falafel from a paper plate. Muammar was in his late 40s, around 48 years old, with shiny, curly, jet-black hair and wearing a white suit with a green shirt, with a black bisht around his shoulders. 

'Maharbaan, dear Hafez, are you enjoying your birthday?' 

'Yes, I am.' 

'Kl eam wa'ant bikhayr.' 

'Shukran, Muammar. Do you have a song for us?' 

Muammar stared into the camera with shiny, dark eyes. It was the sort of stare that only Muammar could do. Then, he only said one word. 

'Feelings...' 

  
**_6\. OCT. 1990, 9:01pm_**

Hafez was now filming his family and friends on the dancefloor, ranging from little children to older people like Castro. 

'♪ YMCA, it's fun to stay at the YMCA... ♪' 

  
**_6\. OCT. 1990, 9:08pm_**

Maher, Hafez's youngest son, looked a lot like Bassel, except he had a brown moustache instead of a beard. Maher, wearing a black polo shirt, navy blue sweatpants and a dark blue baseball cap, was the only person on the dancefloor, except for Hafez filming him. 

'♪ Do you really want to hurt me? Do you really want to make me cry? ♪ ' 

Then Maher sang ' ♪ Do you reallyyyyy want to hurttt meeeee... ♪ ' 

  
**_6\. OCT. 1990, 9:18pm_ **

Hafez had been filming his birthday party, talking to his family members and guests. This party had definitely had some memorable moments so far... 

While filming the buffet table and the selection of gateaux for the fifth time, his wife, Anisa, approached him. She was a short woman with a sweet face, dark hair and dark eyes, wearing a pink, floral dress and a pink cardigan, with a gold necklace. 'Hafez, habibi, there's someone on the phone for you in reception...' 

Still filming, Hafez followed Anisa to the foyer, the dull walls lit by a fluorescent light on the ceiling. Outside, through the glass doors, all that could be seen was black. The phone at the office was indeed ringing persistently. The middle-aged woman at reception smiled and said 'There's a call for you, Your Excellency.' 

Hafez put the camera down on a chair as he answered the phone. The camera still picked up audio. 

'Hello?' 

A voice with an Iraqi accent said 'Stayin' alive, stayin' alive!' 

'Saddam, how did you get this number?!' Hafez replied a little angrily, putting the phone down and picking up his video camera again. 

  
**_6\. OCT 1990, 9:45pm_**

  
At the back of the party venue, there was a little garden - some may call it a pub garden. Some of the children at the party were keeping cool by running around on the grass, with the occasional adult coming out to supervise or smoke. 

Hafez came out to supervise the children - right now, there were three teenage boys playing football with a soda drink can. They were three of Muammar's boys - Saif, Saadi and Mutassim. Saadi was clearly the best at football, and could even do tricks with a soda drink can. 

Hafez had filmed an 'interview' with Saadi, pretending to be interviewing a professional footballer, asking about Saadi's sporting tactics and how the 'other team' played. After that, Saadi and the boys continued playing football... until Saadi kicked the soda drink can over a fence and into a nearby garden. 

The eldest of the Gaddafi boys, Mohammed, now an adult, came outside to see how his brothers were doing. He was surprised to see his brothers running off the grass, away from three huge, snarling, barking Alsatians. 

♪ Who let the dogs out?   
Who, who, who, who?   
Who let the dogs out?   
Who, who, who, who? ♪ 

  
**_6\. OCT. 1990, 10:00pm_**

Now that Hafez and the Gaddafi boys had gotten over the shock of being chased by angry Alsatians, it was time for the grand finale, with Hafez giving filming duties to his son Majd. 

'¡Vamos todos!' Fidel Castro shouted down the microphone. 

'♪ Dance to the music, dance to the music! ♪' everyone sang. 

'♪ All we need is a drummer! ♪' Bassel sang. 

'♪ For people who only need a beat, yeah! ♪' sang Majd. 

After Bashar had done a drum solo on the buffet table, and eaten the last piece of strawberry gateau, Muammar sang '♪ I'm gonna add some bottom ♪' 

'♪ So that the dancers just won't hide! ♪' Maher sang. 

Hafez sang '♪ You might like to hear my organ ♪' 

'♪ I said ride Sally ride! ♪' Castro sang. 

The camera captured Hafez and Anisa, in the middle of the dancefloor, singing '♪ I can't see me lovin' nobody but you, for all my life! ♪ ' 

Everyone at this party gathered round together, to sing together, to wave their arms in the air: 

'♪ Dance to the music, dance to the music, daaaance to the musiiiccc...' 

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a Tumblr ask and Shrek's Karaoke Dance Party 
> 
> No copyright infringement intended, Shrek belongs to Dreamworks and credit to the songs belongs to the owners


End file.
